2017 Hot Wheels Volkswagen Drag Bus in Multi Colored

2017 Hot Wheels Volkswagen Drag Bus diecast information

Mattel Masquerade

The 2017 MEA (Mattel Employees Association) Dinner Dance Volkswagen Drag Bus is one of the most sought-after Hot Wheels releases exclusive to Mattel employees. This model was specifically produced for the annual MEA Dinner Dance event, which features a series of extremely limited Hot Wheels releases not available to the general public.

This particular Drag Bus features a multi-colored feather-style deco with a "Mattel Masquerade 2017" tampo on the roof and gold Real Riders five-spoke wheels. It uses the iconic Volkswagen Drag Bus casting, originally designed by Phil Riehlman and first released in 1996. The casting itself is known under base code 14912 in mainstream Hot Wheels releases, though the MEA variant does carry an official public Mattel number FMC85.

Because this was an internal employee giveaway rather than a public release, exact production numbers and an official part number for the MEA version are not documented publicly. Collector reports and secondary market listings strongly suggest that only a very small run, often estimated at 300 or fewer, was produced, which drives its high value on the open market. Some examples have sold for over $1,500 to $2,000 in recent years on the secondary markets like eBay.